Cleveland Indians

The Indians are facing an offseason of changes following their early exit from the playoffs. Cleveland was swept by Houston in the American League Division Series on Monday. It was likely the last game for this group of players.

WKSU commentator Terry Pluto says the team struggled to recapture the magic of that 2016 World Series run.

The Houston Astros scored a flurry of runs to beat the Cleveland Indians 11-3 at Progressive Field. The Astros three game sweep in the American League Division Series ends Cleveland's season earlier than fans had hoped.

The Indians enter the postseason as underdogs, despite running away with the central division title months ago. It’s a stark contrast to last year, when many experts picked the Indians to win the World Series. They ended up losing early to the Yankees.

WKSU commentator Terry Pluto says the Indians' early 2017 exit versus their improbable 2016 World Series run shows how difficult it is to predict the playoffs in baseball.

But, he says in baseball, once a team wins its division, anything can happen. "Because then you hope to get hot in October."